Device for the deposition of, in particular, crystalline layers on, in particular, crystalline substrates

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device for the deposition of in particular, crystalline layers on one or several, in particular, equally crystalline substrates, comprising a process chamber, arranged in a reactor housing, which may be charged with the substrates from above, by means of a reactor housing opening which may be sealed by a cover. The reactor housing opening opens out into a glove box, in particular flushed with highly pure gas and connects electricity, liquid or gas supply lines to the cover. According to the invention, the connection of supply lines for electricity, fluid or gas sources arranged outside the glove box to the cover of the reactor housing arranged within the glove box may be improved, whereby the electricity, fluid or gas supply lines run freely, from outside the glove box, through a flexible tube which is sealed atone end to a flange arrangement rigidly fixed to the cover and sealed at the other end to an opening in the glove box wall.

[0001] This application is a continuation of pending InternationalPatent Application No. PCT/PCT/EP01/08038 filed Jul. 12, 2001, whichdesignates the United States and claims priority of pending GermanApplication No. 100 43 597, filed Sep. 1, 2000.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to a device for depositing in particularcrystalline layers on one or more, in particular likewise crystallinesubstrates, having a process chamber which is disposed in a reactorhousing and can be loaded with the substrates from above through areactor opening which can be closed off by means of a cover, thereactor-housing opening out into a glove box, which in particular ispurged with ultra pure gas, and current, liquid or gas connection linesleading to the cover.

[0003] Devices of this type are in use, and these CVD installations areused to deposit semiconductor layers on semiconductor substrates.Reaction gases used are, inter alia, metal-organic compounds andhydrides, for example of elements from main groups III and V.

[0004] A reactor housing, which has a reactor-housing opening closed bya cover, with gas feed lines leading to the cover, is shown in U.S. Pat.No. 5,027,464. DE Patent 19 813 523 C2 also shows a reactor housing ofthis type with a process chamber located therein.

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,777 shows a device for depositing SiC. Inthis case, the reaction gases, silane and propane, together with acarrier gas, hydrogen, are passed through a central gas-admissionelement to the process chamber. The central gas-admission elementcarries a cover plate of the process chamber.

[0006] The invention is based on the object of improving the way inwhich connection lines are guided from current, liquid or gas sourcesdisposed outside a glove box to the cover of the reactor housing, whichis disposed inside the glove box.

[0007] The object is achieved by the invention described in the claims.Claim 1 provides that the current, liquid or gas connection lines areled freely through a flexible tube which on one end side is connected ina sealed manner to a flanged-on member seated rigidly on the cover andat the other end side is connected in a sealed manner to an opening inthe glove box wall. In a refinement of the invention, the flanged-onmember is not seated directly on the cover, but rather is at a spacingfrom the cover. For this purpose, there is a support which holds theflanged-on member rigidly to the cover. The flanged-on member may be aplastics plate. This makes it easier to lead through electricalconductors, such as in particular the feed lines for the HF coil. In apreferred configuration of the invention, the cover plate of the processchamber is seated fixedly on the cover. The HF coil, which is likewisefixedly connected to the cover, is located between the reactor-housingcover and the cover plate. If the cover is raised in order forsubstrates to be loaded into or unloaded from the process chamber, whichcan be carried out using suitable pneumatic cylinders, HF coil andprocess-chamber cover plate are also lifted with it. In the process, theflexible tube is compressed. The supply lines guided freely therein thenmove through the opening of the glove box. The flexible tube is inparticular a corrugated hose.

[0008] The carrier plate is heated from below, likewise by means of anHF coil. The two HF coils can be powered by separate HF generators. Thisallows individual control of substrate temperature and covertemperature. The substrate temperature is approximately 1600° C. Forthis purpose, the carrier plate, which preferably consists of graphite,is heated to a temperature of 1700° C. to 1800° C. The surfacetemperature of the cover plate consisting of graphite is approximately1600° C. The region of the cover plate which directly adjoins thegas-admission element is also at such a high temperature. On account ofcooling, the gas-admission element is at a temperature of less than 100°C.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained below withreference to accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010]FIG. 1 shows, in diagrammatic representation, the reactor,comprising the process chamber disposed in the reactor housing with thesupply lines passing through an opening in a wall of a glove box, and

[0011]FIG. 2 shows a worm's eye view of the connection member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The device illustrated in the exemplary embodiment is used forthe monocrystalline deposition of SiC layers on monocrystalline Sisubstrates in a hot-wall reactor. These substrates may have a diameterof 4 inches. The device is located in a housing (not shown in thedrawings). This housing has a glove box which is used for loading andunloading the process chamber. The cover 8 of the reactor housing 2 canbe opened in the glove box 15. In the process, the cover 8, togetherwith a gas-admission element 6 secured to the cover, a high-frequencycoil 19 which is likewise secured thereto and a cover plate 4 secured tothe gas-admission element 6, lifts off. Furthermore, an upperhousing-wall section 10, which rests on a lower housing-wall section 11by means of seals 12, also lifts off therewith, so that the substrateholders 45 supported by the carrier plate 3 can be loaded withsubstrates.

[0013] The feed lines 16 for the HF coil 19 are in flexible tube form.They, like further gas or cooling-water feed lines 17, are located in acorrugated hose 13. One end of this corrugated hose 13 is sealinglyconnected to an opening 14′ in the glove box wall 14. For this purpose,the opening 14′ has a collar, for example. The other end of thecorrugated hose 13 is sealingly connected to a flanged-on member 7. Thisflanged-on member 7 comprises a circular plastics or Pertinax plate. Inthis plate, there are feed-line lead-throughs 21, 21′, onto which hosesor tubes 16 or the HF feed lines 17 are screwed or fitted. The plate 7is spaced apart from the cover 8. It is rigidly connected to the cover8, but via a support 9.

[0014] When the cover 8 is lifted, the corrugations of the corrugatedhose 13 are pushed together. The lines 16, 17 located freely therein canthen be pushed through the opening 14′.

[0015] The process chamber 1 is located in the reactor housing 2. Thisprocess chamber 1 has a carrier plate 3, which bears substrate holders.A cover plate 4 extends parallel to and above the carrier plate 3. Thecarrier plate 3 is heated from below by means of a water-flushed HF coil19. The cover plate 4 is heated from above by an HF coil 20, which islikewise water-cooled. The carrier plate 3 is configured in the shape ofring, the outer diameter being approximately twice its inner diameter.

[0016] Immovable, in particular rigid connection lines 22 run from theflanged-on member 7, which is located parallel to and at a spacing fromthe housing cover 8, to the lead-throughs 23, which form the lineconnections through the housing cover 8. Further lines run to the head6′ of the gas-admission element 6. These are the feed lines for thereaction gases and the feed and discharge line for the cooling water ofthe cooled gas-admission element 6.

[0017] In the exemplary embodiment, the circular disk, which forms theflanged-on member 7, is located directly opposite the opening 14′ in theglove box. The diameter of the opening 14′ substantially corresponds tothe diameter of the flanged-on member 7. In the plate 7 there are pipescrew connections 21′ and lead-throughs 21 for the HF feed lines 16,which are in flexible-tube form.

[0018] The following method of operation is established:

[0019] if the cover 8 is lifted by pneumatic cylinders (not shown), theconnection member 7 moves toward the opening 14′. The lines 16, 17located in the corrugated tube 13 are pushed through the opening 14′ inregions. Any length-compensation sections which may be present in thefeed lines can be disposed outside the glove box 15, so that the volumeof the glove box 15 which is filled with pure gas can be minimal.

[0020] All features disclosed are (inherently) pertinent to theinvention. The disclosure content of the associated/appended prioritydocuments (copy of the prior application) is hereby incorporated in itsentirety in the disclosure of the application, partly for the purpose ofincorporating features of these documents in claims of the presentapplication.

What is claimed is:
 1. Device for depositing in particular crystallinelayers on one or more, in particular likewise crystalline substrates,having a process chamber (1) which is disposed in a reactor housing (2)and can be loaded with the substrates from above through a reactoropening which can be closed off by means of a cover (8), thereactor-housing opening out into a glove box, which in particular ispurged with ultra pure gas, and current, liquid or gas connection lines(16, 17) leading to the cover (8), characterized in that the current,liquid or gas connection lines (16, 17) are led from outside the glovebox (15) to the cover (8) freely through a flexible tube (13) which onone end side is connected in a sealed manner to a flanged-on member (7)seated rigidly on the cover (8) and at the other end side is connectedin a sealed manner to an opening (14′) in the glove box wall (14). 2.Device according to or in particular according to claim 1, characterizedin that the flanged-on member (7) is secured rigidly to and at spacingfrom the cover (8) by means of a support (9).
 3. Device according to oneor more of the preceding claims or in particular according thereto,characterized in that the flanged-on member (7) is a plastics plate withgastight lead-throughs or screw connections for the supply lines (16,17).
 4. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or inparticular according thereto, characterized by a cover plate (4), whichis fixedly connected to the cover (8) via a gas-admission element (6),of the process chamber (1).
 5. Device according to one or more of thepreceding claims or in particular according thereto, characterized by ahigh-frequency coil (19), which is fixedly connected to the cover (8)and in particular is water-cooled, for heating the cover plate (4). 6.Device according to one or more of the preceding claims or in particularaccording thereto, characterized in that cover plate (4) and carrierplate (3) can be heated separately.
 7. Device according to one or moreof the preceding claims or in particular according thereto,characterized by a carrier plate (3) which is driven in rotation and onwhich substrate holders (45), which rotate on in each case one gasbearing, are seated.
 8. Device according to one or more of the precedingclaims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that theflanged-on member (7) extends parallel to and directly beneath theopening (14′).
 9. Device according to one or more of the precedingclaims or in particular according thereto, characterized in that theflanged-on member (7) and the opening (14′) have an approximatelyidentically sized cross-sectional area.